Car-coupling.



No. 673,898. Patented May l4, mm. M. J. CARTER.

CAB COUPLING. (Application file d Feb. 17, 1900. Renewed Oct. 15,19.00.)

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UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN J. CARTER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,898, dated May 14,1901. Application filed February 17, 1900. Renewed October 15, 1900.Serial No. 83,104. allo model-J To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, MARTIN J. CARTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Car- Couplers; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an automatic carcoupler which has for its objectto simplify and improve the construction of self-locking devices of thischaracter and to render them more efficient in use by providing acar-coupler which is always sure of locking when the cars come togetherand which is not liable to become inoperative under the most extremecircumstances; and myinvention will be hereinafter fully described inthe following specification and more particularly pointed out in claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 isa side elevation of the endportions of two cars coupled together with my improved locking device,one of said end portions being partly broken away and in verticalsection. Fig. 2 is' a side elevation of my coupling device detached, oneof the heads beingin verticalsection. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionalview through both heads of the coupler above the coupling-bars. Figs. 4:and 5 are detached detail views of operating parts of the coupler.

Similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in each figureof the drawings.

The cars are indicated by 1, each of which is provided with acoupling-head 2, which may be connected to the car in any desired orapproved manner. The coupler-heads are hollow and have flaring orbell-shaped months, as shown at their abutting ends. As each head is asubstantial duplicate of the other, a description of one will besufficient. An extension or lug 3 is cast upon one side of the head, asindicated, and this lug is provided with a chamber or recess 8 toreceive one end of the coupling-bar 5, which end is pivoted within saidchamber on a vertical pivot. The other or coupling end 6 of the bar 5 isdesigned to project into the interior of the op- 1 posed coupling-headand be locked therein,

as will be more fully described hereinafter, and for the purpose oflocking said end is bent or curved upwardly to form a curvedlocking-face 23. It is desirable that the couplingbars 5 have a limitedlateral swinging movement on their pivots; but such movement must beconfined to a certain space. Various means may be employed to regulateand limit this movement-as, for instance, a spring 7 may be coiledaround the pivot-pin of the coupling-bar, with one end connected to thewall of the chamber 8 and the other end to the bar 5, as shown in theleft coupling-head of Fig. 3, or, as is most preferable, in order toavoid the use of a spring in the coupler, as shown in the othercoupling-head in said Fig. 3, the pivoted end of the coupling-bar 5 maybe V-shaped in plan view, as indicated at 9, and the sides 10 of thechamber, opposing the sides of the V-shaped end of the bar, may divergefrom each other somewhat more than the sides of the end of the bar, andthereby permit a limited lateral movement of the bar on its pivot, thebar beingslightly held against the sides 10 of the chamber in itsextreme movement.

There is a gravity locking-pawl 11 pivoted within the coupling-head 2,which is of such length as to extend across the width of the chamberwithin the head and engage the vertical shoulders 12, which extend intothe chamber from its opposite side. This pawl 11 is provided with anangular opening 13 within its upper rounded end to receive an angularbar 14,the latter being provided with cylindrical journals 15 and 18,which fitin suitable bearings in the coupling-head near its upperside,the first-named journal 15 working in the bearing 16. (Shown inFigs. 1 and 2.)

By rocking the angular bar 14 in its bearings the locking-pawl 11 maybeswung away from the shoulders 12 of the coupling-head, and to effectthis a crank-arm 17 is secured to one end of the angular bar 14, andthis crankarm is connected to a lever 22, pivoted in bearings 21 on theplatform of the car by means of a link 20, so that the uncoupling of thecar may be easily eifected by a slight movement of the lever 22 by aperson standing on the platform of the car.

The lower end of the locking-pawl 11 is curved, as indicated at 19, tocorrespond with the curvature 23 on the upper side of the coupling endof the bar 5. By this construction in coupling two cars together the endof the coupling-bar 5 being curved will push the pawl 11 within thecoupling-head until the curved end of the bar 5 has entered sufiicientlyto permit the pawl to drop by gravity into the curve of the bar behindits front upturned end, when as the bar 5 recedes from the coupling-headthe pawl 11 is drawn outward and tightly into the curve of the bar andagainst the shoulders 12 of the coupling-head, thereby automaticallylocking the cars together.

The coupling thus constructed has many advantages over devicesheretofore used for this purpose, among which may be stated that as twocoupling-bars are used in each set of couplings in the event one of suchbars or any part with which it cooperates becoming inoperative from anycause the other bar would be sufliciently strong to hold the carstogether and prevent the train from breaking. The structure is also verysimple, and consequently not liable to get out of order, and, further,it can be produced at a small cost compared with many of the morecomplicated structures for this purpose. As the gravitypawl extendsentirely across the open end of the coupler it will entirely excludesnow, ice, and dirt and other foreign matter that frequently get intothe opening of the couplerhead and obstruct its operation. Eachcoupling-bar being provided with so great a space in which to swing inthe head, no extra strain is brought to bear upon them in turning theshortest curve, as is the case in most other devices constructed forthis purpose, and all danger of breakage at such times is thereforeavoided and at the same time the cars can be coupled or uncoupled whileon a curve as easily as when in a straight line.

I am aware that car-couplers have been constructed withspring-catches,swinging hinges, and inclined bolts, none of which areentirely safe, as the small hold which they have upon the end of thelocking-bars renders them insecure, as they often break or slip over thesmall hold, causing the cars to separate, re-

sulting in great damage many times to person and property, and such I donot claim; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A hollow coupling-head havingaside extension, combined with acoupling-bar pivoted at one end to said extension, and its other endadapted to enter an opposing head, a spring in said extension to limitthe lateral movement and center the said bar in the opposingcoupling-head, and a gravity-pawl pivoted within the hollow head toengage and lock the end of the coupling-bar carried by the opposinghead, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of opposing hollow coupling-heads,a coupling-bar pivoted to each head and adapted to extend into theopposing head, the free end of each bar having an upper curvedlockingface, and a gravity-pawl pivoted within each head and having acurved locking-face on its free end to cooperate with the locking-faceon the bar of the opposing head, and shoulders to limit the outwardmovement of the pawl, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of opposing hollow coupling-heads,each head having a side extension, a coupling-bar pivoted at one end toeach of. said extensions and adapted to extend into the opposing head,said bars having upper curved locking-faces on their free ends, means tolimit the lateral movement and center the said bars, a gravitypawlpivoted within each head and having a lower curved face on its free endto engage the curved looking-face on the bar pivoted to the opposinghead, shoulders extending into the chamber to limit the outward movementof the gravity-pawl, and means to swing it out of engagement with thecoupling-bar, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN J. CARTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. 0001;, S. E. FOWLER.

